Growing Support for Expanding the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument

In an attempt to expand wilderness protections to the mountains and foothills just north of the Los Angeles Basin, California Representative Judy Chu and Senator Alex Padilla have asked President Biden to add 109,167 acres to the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, an act that would help to preserve an area that is rich in historical and ecological significance and is within only an hour’s drive of 18 million people.

The move would increase the monument by about a third and extend its boundaries to various San Fernando Valley neighborhoods, including park-poor Pacoima and Sylmar. It would also give the U.S. Forest Service greater ability to protect natural resources and manage crowds in areas not included in the 2014 monument designation by then-President Obama.

The proposal to expand the San Gabriel Mountains National Monument comes at a time when the Biden administration has committed to safeguarding Indigenous, cultural and environmental sites under its “America the Beautiful” initiative, which seeks to conserve 30% of the nation’s lands and coastal waters by 2030. Aligning with and expanding on this effort, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted the 2022 Parks Needs Assessment Plus (PNA+) Final Report as the county’s 30×30 plan on December 6, 2022. 

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